July 5, 2013 / Leslie

Review – Audiobook: A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

A Hundred Summers
by Beatriz Williams
Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: May 30, 2013
Format: Audio, 11 hours | 35 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 3 of 5

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak. That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.

Nick and Budgie Greenwald are an unwelcome specter from Lily’s past: her former best friend and her former fiancé, now recently married — an event that set off a wildfire of gossip among the elite of Seaview, who have summered together for generations.

My Thoughts:

Budgie and Lily were old friends. Their families spent summers together at the oceanfront town of Seaview, Rhode Island, and the girls were close. Now they have drifted apart. It’s been a few years since they’ve seen each other but this year Budgie showed up with her new husband, Lily’s former fiancé.

Budgie is reopening the family summer home and pick up her old friendship with Lily, maybe even help her find a husband of her own. But Lily can’t move on until things are set right between her and Nick, and in the process a lot of secrets come tumbling into the present.

The novel alternates between two time periods: The present in the summer of 1938, and the story of Nick and Lily when they met in 1931. The story was pleasant and the writing was nice with lots of descriptive prose. The seaside town in the summer was enticing. But overall the story was not compelling. It didn’t pick up until halfway through and even then the plot was predictable.

There were a few twists and a big secret one of which I had figured out right away, the other I had suspected. It was a lot like a soap opera. And that’s ok, but I was hoping for a little bit more substance. The one area of history the author did touch on was the anti-Jewish sentiment in the US prior to WWII, the extent of which I was unaware.

Even though I wasn’t crazy about the story I kept listening. For one, I was curious to find out if I was right about the big secret. Also, I find it’s easier to keep listening than it is to keep reading. I’m a big audio multi-tasker and if I’m even remotely interested I can keep listening while gardening, cooking, cleaning, driving, whatever.

Narrator Kathleen McInerney’s voice was easy to listen to. I could tell most of the characters apart with the exception of the male voices who all sounded the same to me. I especially enjoyed the voice for Aunt Julie, easily the best character in the novel. She had a lot of personality and gave her uncensored opinion on everything.

This is my second attempt at reading this author. There are a lot of positive reviews and many people love her books so I gave it another chance, but I think her stories are just not for me. For those who enjoy a light historical romance, this book would make an excellent choice.